Electron discharge tube



Nov. 13, 1-934, w. E. POOR ELECTRON DISCHARGE TUBE Filed March 11, 1951 java? ZZO 7 Patented Nov. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES 1,980,596. ELECTRON DISCHARGE TUBE Walter E. Poor, Sale11 1,.Mass., assignor to Hygrade Sylvania Corporation, Salem, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application March'll, 1931, Serial No. 521,779

9 Claims. (or. 250- 215 This invention relates generally to electron discharge devices and particularly to rectifying or radio tubes of the general type comprising spaced electrodes such as plates, filaments, etc. Tubes of this general character are of a relatively frangible and delicate construction not well adapted to withstand jars, shocks, vibrations or the like to which they may be subjected in handling, It has been especially dii ficult to maintain the plates in properly spaced relation for the latter, being relatively heavy, often have a tendency to swing or turn about their supports when the device is roughly or improperly handled, frequently causing the plates to become loosed from their mountings and thus to produce short circuiting or otherwise to cause defective operation.

Objects of the present invention are generally to improve features of construction of devices of this general class so as to provide a sturdier and more rugged and durable construction in which the parts are not readily displaced from their proper relative positions; and also to provide a device of the class described having an improved construction and relative arrangement of parts.

In the drawing Fig. 1 is a side elevation, with parts broken away, of a rectifying tube;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a section along the line 3--3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a section along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2; and 1 Fig. 5 is a section along the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. The apparatus selected for illustration comprises a gas-tight envelope 10 of glass or other suitable material mounted in a base 11 and having a reentrant. portion 12 through which conductors extend in the'usual manner from the closed upper end or press thereof to terminal posts l3, l4 and a like pair of posts directly behind those shown. The plates are in the form of relatively flat tubular members 16 and 17, which are vertically disposed and formed with mating flanges 18 and 19 extending along their adjacent sides and encasing' vertically disposed support members or pillars 21 and 22 of conducting material. the supports in any improved manner, as by spot welding.

Within the tubular plates filaments 23 and 24 are disposed in triangular formation with the free ends of the filaments depending below the plates and the upper portion or bend of each filament disposed centrally of the open upper end The mating flanges may be secured to mounted in the press extends to the remote end of the inverted V-shaped filament 24, as

viewed in Figs. 1 and 2, whilethe other end of this filament is connected by aconductor 27 to the corresponding end of a similar inverted V shaped filament 23. The other endof the latter filament is connected to aconductor 28 similar to conductor 26 and mounted in the press in a like manner. The conducting supports-21and 22 as well as the conductors 26 and 28 are connected, within the press in the usual manner, to other conductors (not shown) leading to the terminal posts projecting from the base 11. Between the conductors 26 and 28 a central support member 29 is mounted in the press and extends vertically between the plates, preferablythrough an aperture in part 31 hereinafter described.

With apparatus constructed in this or similar ways the plates 16 and 17 have a tendency, when the device is subjected to impacts or shocks, to swing about the support members ,21 and 22 respectively, often causing short circuits or improper spacing of the plates relative to the filaments. I For overcoming conditions of this kind there is provided a transversely disposed member or strip 31, preferably of mica or similar mate-- rial and of a size to fit squarely against and snug- 1y between the plates at the upper end ofthe latter. This member has apertures registering with and receiving the upper ends of the central support 29 and the plate supports 21 and22. This transverse member 31 carries a pair of posts 32 and 33 which preferably are spaced'on either side of the horizontalcenter line of the member, asviewed in-Fig. 2, and substantially on the vertical center line of this view. These posts extend through the strip of insulation and are provided with lower heads 34 (Fig. 1.1) fitting squarely against the under side of this strip and'annular collars or washers 35 are secured as by soldering or the like to the upper or projecting portions of the posts in position to lie snugly against the interposed strip, thus securely fixing these posts in position. A relatively light wire 36 is soldered to the post 32 and bent to overlie the central portion of the open upper end of plate 16, the free end of this wire being in the form of a hook 37 in which the bend of filament 23 is suspended. In a like manner a similar wire 38 is secured to the post 33 and is bent to overlie the central portion of the open upper end of plate 1'7, being provided with a hooked end 39 in which the bend of filament 24 is disposed.

The transverse strip or sheet of/insulation 31 preferably is also rigidly attached to the plate support members 21 and 22. This attaching means comprises a sleeve or eyelet 41 (Figs. 3 and 4) fitting about the support member 22 and having an exterior flange or collar 42 which is disposed against the under side of the strip 31 whilethe body portion of the sleeve extends through and beyond the upper side of this strip. Above the strip the sleeve is formed with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal slits which divide this upwardly projecting portion of the sleeve into segmental portions (four in the illustration), alternate portions 43 and 44 (Fig. 4) being turned outwardly and laid flat against the interposed strip 31 to hold this strip firmly against the lower flange 42 of the sleeve As shown in Fig. 3, the remaining or intervening.

segmental portions 46 and 47 extend along and are secured to the support member v22 by spot welding. The strip 31 is also secured to the support member 21 in a like manner.

This form of attachment provides a very simple "and convenient means for attaching the mica strip or like member to supports such as the members 21 and 22. The sleeve is readily mounted upon the support member, and after the slitted end of the sleeve has been inserted through the registering opening of the mica strip the operation of turning down alternate portions 43 and 44 is very simple and yet this provides a very ef- 'fective" arrangement for holding the interposed strip firmly in position. Moreover, the projecting portions 46 and 47 of this sleeve extend sufficiently beyond the mica strip to facilitate welding or other attaching operations.

It'will also be evident that the arrangement of the transverse strip of insulation 31 provides a brace between theplates 16 and 17 which effectively prevents relative rotary movement of these plates 'abouttheir supports, and as this strip is also mounted upon the central support 29 "as well as upon the plate supports '21 and 22 it 'is effective for holding the parts firmly in position; thus providing a sturdy construction. well adapted to withstand impacts, shocks or the like. Moreover,'as the wires 36 and 38, which support the upper end portions of the filaments 23 and 24,are mounted upon the mica strip, it will be clearthat should the entire'upper end of this I supportand plate assembly be displaced for any reason, this manner of mounting the wires 36 and '38 will tend tomaintain the upper end portions ofthe filaments in properly spaced relation with respect to the plates 16 and 17.

It should be understood thatthe present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and "equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tube comprising an enclosing envelope, a plurality of filaments, a plate adjacent each filament separately surrounding the same, upright supports for the plates, a member fastened to said supports and fitting snugly between and against ]the opposed outer surfaces of the plates and j' holding the latter from movement relative to each other, said member being in the form of a sheet ofinsulation mounted in a plane extending substantially at right angles to the axes of said plates. 2. Y A tube comprising an enclosing envelope,

' relatively flat tubular plates, a filament for each plate separately disposed within the tubular porpair of emitting cathodes, tubular anodes each separately surrounding one of said cathodes, each "150' tion thereOLsubstantially vertical supports connected to the plates along adjacent sides thereof,

' edges abutting against the opposed outer surfaces. -of said anodes to prevent relative rotation between (said anodes and cathodes.

a central support disposed between the plate supports, and a member secured to two of these supports and extending between and fitting snugly against the opposed outer surfaces of the plates and holding the latter from movement about their supports.

3. A tube comprising an enclosing envelope, relatively flat tubular plates, a filament for each plate separately disposed within the tubular portion thereof, substantially vertical supports connected to the plates along adjacent sides thereof,

a central support disposed between the plate supports, and amember secured to two of these supports and extending between and fitting snugly against the plates and holding the latter from movement about their supports, and means carried by this member and extending above the tubular end portion of one of the opposed outer surfaces'of the plates and suspending the filament disposed therein.

- 4. A tube comprising an enclosing envelope, a

plurality of filaments, a plate adjacent each file.-

wardly of the sleeve and against said 'rnember, the

projecting portion of the sleeve adjoiningone of (no the latter slits being disposed along and secured to the support. 7 v

5. 'A tube of the spaced electrode type comprising the combination of a plurality of filaments, a

plate adjacent each filament, an upright support, l

a member fitting snugly between and against the plates and having an aperture registering with and receiving said support, a sleeve positioned on said support to extend through said member, a substantially annular flange on the sleeve dis-i12 posed against one side of said member,the portion of the sleeve extending on the other side of said member having circumferentially spaced substantiallylongitudinal slits, alternate portions between the slits being disposed outwardly 2 against said member, the remaining portions between the slits being disposed along and secured to the support.

6. A tube comprising an enclosing envelope, a pair ofspaced cathodes, a pair of anodes eachga separately surroundinga corresponding one-of said cathodes, and a sheet of insulating material extending between the anodes and at right angles to the axes thereof, said sheet having opposed '7. "A' tube comprising an enclosing envelope, a plurality of electron-emitting cathodes, a pair .of anodes each separately surrounding a corresponding one of said cathodes, a sheet of insulating material extending between the anodes at right anglesto the axes thereof, said sheet abutting against the opposed outer surfaces of said anodes, and

means connecting said cathodes and said anodes 445 'to said insulating member in interlocking relation.

8. A tube comprising an enclosing envelope, a

wires sealed into said press, a tubular anode fastened to one of said lateral supports, another tubular anode fastened to the other of said lateral supports, an insulator member through which said central support passes and positioned between said anodes in abutting relation with the opposed exterior faces of said anodes to prevent relative rotation therebetween.

WALTER E. POOR.

v D I SOLAI M E R 1,980,596.Walter E. Poor, Salem, Mass. ELECTRON DISCHARGE TUBE. Patent dated November 13, 1934. Disclaimer filed August 10, 1936, by the patentee; the assignee, Hygmde Sylvam'a, Corporation, consenting. Hereby enters this disclaimer to claims 1, 6, 7, and 9 of said Letters Patent.

[Ofiieial Gazette September 1, 1.936.] 

